Floor-washing machine.



S. B. TATULIS.

FLOOR'WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQH FILED SEPT. 27, 1917.

Patented July 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

S. B. TATULIS.

FLOOR WASHING MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT 21, 19H.

Patented July 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W m w Q m III I W W ZIII m hn ms mum/s PETERS m, FNnm-Llrim. WASHINGTON, nv c s'rnvnn B. :rA'rtrLIs', or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOOR-WASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed September 27, 1917. Serial No. 193,423.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, STEVEN B. TATULIS, a subject of the King of Greece, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FloorlVashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in floor washing machines and has for its object the production of a device of this character through the medium of which a floor may be washed with ease and expedition. A

further object is the production of a device as mentioned which will be of durable and economical construction and efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinatiOns and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which, i 6

Figure ,1 is a side elevation of a floor washing machine embodying the invention,

Fig. 2, a vertical, longitudinal section through the machine,

Fig. 3, a top plan view of the machine with cover, handle and cleansing liquid reservoir'removed, and,

Fig. 4:, asection taken on line l-l of Fig. 1. r

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises an elongated, rectangular carriage or housing 5, which is mounted for movement over the floor to be washed on'wheels 6.' Provided at the front end of carriage or housing 5 is a rotary scrubbing brush 7,'adapted for engagement with the floor. The brush 7 is driven through the, medium of an endless sprocket chain 8 which passes around a sprocket wheel 9 connected with said brush. Said sprocket chain is driven fthroughthe medium of an electric motor 10 mounted in the housing 5, the power shaft of said m0- tor carrying a gear 11, which meshes with a gear 12 on a shaft 13, the latter carrying a sprocket wheel 14, around which the chain 8 passes, as is clearly seen in Fig. 1.

Carried at the front end of the machine directly over the brush 7 is a cleansing liquid reservoir 15, the upper side of which is provided with a hinged door 16, through controlled by a s'lidably mounted valve bar 18, having spaced perforations therein adapted for registration with the opening 17, as is clearly seen in Fig. 4. Sliding adjustment of said valve bar is effected by means of a handle 19 provided at one end of said bar. The cleansing liquid thus discharged from the reservoir 15 is deposited onto the brush 7 whence the same is carried by the brush to and utilized in the washing or scrubbing of the floor.

The cleansing liquid remaining on the floor after the passage of the scrubbing brush thereover is collected or absorbed by an endless apron mop 20, which passes around a series of rollers 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. whereby, in the operation of the motor 10 said mop will be rotated or moved longitudinally, as will be readily understood. Cooperating with roller 25 is a second roller 26, the mop, as the same passes betweensaid rollers 25 and 26, being compressed to force theliquid which has been collected thereby, therefrom, and into a collecting recep-v tacle 27. It will thus be seen, in the oper ation of the machine, that the floor will first be scrubbed by the brush7, which will be moistened by the cleansing liquid depos ited thereon from the reservoir 15. After the floor has thusbeen scrubbed by the brush 7 any liquid remaining thereon will be im mediately absorbed by the mop 20 and carried thereby for deposit into receptacle 27 upon passage of the mop between rollers 25 and 26. After the washing operation has been completed the receptacle 27 will be emptied. To assist in'the driving of the mop' 20, the' roller 25 may be provided with a sprocket wheel'28 for engagement with the sprocketchain 8. g Carried at each end of the device is a vertical movable squeegee 29, carried by arms 80 fulcrumed at 31 to the carriage or housing 5. The arms 30 are provided with teeth 82, which are adapted to mesh with gears 33 fixed to wheels 6. The arrangement is such that the Squeegees 29 at opposite ends of the device are operatively connected through gears 33 with the wheels 6, the direction The roller 21 is secured to shaft 1.3

of rotations of said wheels determining whether or not said squeegeeslare' leveled or lowered, the arrangement being such that said squeegees will operate alternately so that when the device is moved forwardly the squeegee at the rearward end thereof will be moved downwardly into operative engagement with the floor, whereas the squeegee at the front end of the device will be elevated into inoperative position. When the device is moved rearwardly, the reverse movement of said squeegees will be effected; that is, the squeegee at the front end of the machine will be-lowered to operative position, whereas the squeegee at the rearward end of the device V will be elevated into inoperative position. The squeegees will serve to gather or collect any moisture or liquid remaining on the floor after the passage of the mop thereover,- the moisture or liquid thus gathered or collected by either squeegee being in close proximity with the mop where the same will be absorbed and thus the floor rendel ed practically perfectly dry when the machine has passed thereover.

\ Secured to the cover of the carriage'or housing is a handle 34, whereby the device may be manually moved over the floor in the employment of the same. 7

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for car'- rymg my invention" into effect, this is capable of variations and modifications without *departing from the spirltof the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

40 "Having described, my invention what I claim a's'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: m a

' l. Afloor washing machinecomprising a wheeled carriage; a cleansing liquid reser voir supported by said-carriage a scrubbing element adapted for engagement vwith the fioor; a vcleansing liquidsupply adapted to discharge cleansing liquid'onto said scrub bing element; means for moppingup the to floor to removethecleansing liquid therei from; a squeegee. carried by said carriage at one end thereof adapted to engage with the floor to collect the'liquid thereon for ab-' sorption by said mopping means; and means for automatically moving said squeegee into and out of operative engagement with the floor in the. movement of the carriage in opposite directions over the floor, substantially as described. .7

W2. A floor washing machine comprising a' wheeled carriage; a cleansing liquid reservoir supported by said carriage; a scrubbing element adapted for engagement with the floor; a cleansing liquid supply adapted to discharge cleansing liquid onto said scrubbing element; means for mopping up the floor to remove the cleansing liquid therefrom; a vertically movable squeegee carried by said carriage at each end thereof adapted to engage with the floor to collect the liquid thereon for absorption by said mopping means; and means, adapted upon movement of the device in one direction, to automatically raise the squeegee at one end of the carriage to inoperative position and to lower the other squeegee to operative position, and, upon movement of the device in the opposite direction ,to automatically reverse the movement of said Squeegees, substantially as described; v

,3. A floor washing machine comprising'a;

wheeled carriage; acleansing. liquid reservolr supported by sa1d carr age; a scrubadapted to'engage with-thefioor to collect V the liquid thereon, for absorption by said v moppmg means; means; adapted upon move ment of the. device in one.direction, .to automat cally'raise the squeegee at one end of the carriage to inoperative position, and to.

lewerthe other squeegee to operativeposio tion, and, upon movementof the device in the opposite direction to automatically re f verse'the -movement' of said Squeegees, said last mentioned means comprising a rockingly mounted holderfor each squeegee; and a gear cooperating with said holder Where by upon forward and rearward movement of the device said holder will be rocked first in one direction and thenin the other, sub? stantially as described. 7

.In testimony whereof I Fhavesigned my 7 name to this specification in the presence-of two subscribing witnesses. e V

STEVEN B. TATULIS. Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Por'rs, ARTHUR A. OLSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by'addressing the Commissioner ofPatents, a TashingtonJLG. a q 

